Double Trouble
by Inuyashas.Friends.Forever
Summary: Andrea and Renee are two friends who live in Halsey, Nebraska. The pair of friends are living a perfect life…perfect, that is, until the school holds a contest. The prize…a trip to Japan!Once they get there, things begin to spiral out of control...
1. Prologue Renee's POV

Prologue

The sun was slipping through the sky, a massive orange ball of flames and lanterns. The thin golden rays highlighting the silver sheen of the boy's hair. He sat, high in the Sacred Tree, silver tresses blowing about in a shivering breeze. At the base of the tree sat a girl, her raven hair tousled and untidy, yet neat and kempt at the same time. She was sitting with her knees drawn to her chest, her chin resting there. Her silver-hazel eyes were fixed on the boy, whom she calmly ignored.  
" Keh." The boy snorted. " I know you're watching me."

' I can't help it.' the girl thought, but she only said, " So what if I am?"

" It bothers me."

" Well, if you would just listen to me…"

" What is it now?" the boy snapped. The girl was on her feet in an instant, her pretty face contorted in both fear and anger.

" My friends from the states…" She started with a snarl, then broke off, shaking her head, and went on in a gentler tone.

" My friends from the states have won a school trip."

" And that means what to me?" the boy spat back.

" You baka! They won a trip here, and they want to see me!" The raven-haired girl snapped angrily.

" Oh…" The silver-haired boy trailed off. " What're they like?"

" Normal girls. A little on the fearful side, not too bad." The girl shrugged.

" Keh. Pretty nice thing to say about a human. Tolerating you and Sango is all I can handle."

" You're so rude."

" Thanks."

" Learn the meaning of the word insult."

" You're stupid."

" What's that got to do with anything?"

" Just proving that I know the meaning of an insult, Kagome."

" You know what, Inuyasha? Just shut up and SIT!" Kagome bellowed the last word into the dusky sky, sending Inuyasha plunging to the ground. Whirling, Kagome came face-to-face with the lecherous monk Miroku.

" I'm sure these girls will be a pleasure to have around. When will they be here?"

" Don't get any ideas, you perverted son of a…" Sango began.

" Cheesecake?" Kagome filled in for her. Sango shrugged.

" Yeah." Sango gave Miroku a death glare and then turned to Kagome.

" Near the end of the month. It'll be on March twenty-fifth," continued Kagome.

" So are you going to bring these two girls here?" She asked her friend.

" She shouldn't." Inuyasha grumbled, getting to his feet.

" Why not?" Kagome snapped, turning on him. Inuyasha dropped his head, keeping his silence. He couldn't tell Kagome about the last time he had visited her era; she had been at school, so he had gotten on her computer. He had ended up talking to the girls through something called Instant Messaging. He had found out their names; Renee and Andrea. And he liked them. Not in that way, but he thought they seemed tough.

" Well, why not?" Kagome insisted.

" I…It wouldn't be good if they got hurt." Inuyasha finally sighed. Kagome, to his relief, laughed heartily.

" I wouldn't bring them here, silly! My main problem was I would be leaving you big babies for a week or so." Kagome teased, pulling all of them into a hug. Shippo sprang up and down on her shoulder, laughing, while neko demon Kirara purred and wound around their ankles.

Miroku gasped after Kagome released them from the hug, looking a bit dejected at Kagome's decision. Kagome looked thoughtful. _"Hmm… Maybe I will try to bring them here as long as Miroku behaves himself! They might be able to pass through the well if we go through at the same time!" _Kagome thought to herself with a grin.

" Just keep them away from here. We don't need two more whiny human girls running around getting in the way!" Inuyasha scoffed, but his relief tainted his voice. Kagome growled at him as she approached the bone eater's well.

" Are you saying I'm whiny?" She snapped suddenly. 

" Uh…" Inuyasha trailed off. Kagome sat on the lip of the well, looking back.

" Well, bye, guys! And Inuyasha…" Kagome's grin spread. Inuyasha instinctively latched onto the nearest young tree.

" Kagome!" He pleaded, but her dark grin said she wouldn't let it alone.

" Bye, Inuyasha! Be a good boy and SIT!"

" EEEEEYYYYIIIIPPPPEEEE!" 

Crash.

Kagome disappeared down the well as Shippo, Sango, and Miroku stared at the crater where the tree…and Inuyasha…had once stood.

" Baka." Sango murmured. Kirara mewled her agreement and followed her friends away.

The sun was slipping through the sky, a massive orange ball of flames and lanterns. I admired the brightness of it as it reflected on the mirror behind the teacher's back. I glanced up at the clock, but could barely read it past the sheen of the sunlight. The classroom door banged open, rattling the clock so that I could see it was two thirty in the afternoon…nearly time to go home. Then I turned my eyes to the young boy standing in the doorway.

The boy's face was round and splashed in red freckles. His green eyes looked even brighter against his mop of red curls. The teacher waited patiently as the boy hurried to her desk with a sheaf of papers. He handed them to the teacher and they exchanged a few words. I leaned back in my chair and watched with half-lidded eyes as the boy scampered away. The teacher laid the papers on her desk and eyed us all severely before she spoke in a tone sharper than an eagle's talons.

" Class, the principal has organized a school trip." She began.

" Tell me it's not some stupid camping trip again!" I moaned quietly. I still hadn't gotten over standing waist-deep in mud in the freezing rain waiting for the bus to take us away.

" This year, class, the school trip will be to Japan." I noticed a glimmer of excitement in the teacher's voice, but her words were met by dead silence, wide-eyes, stunned faces. I looked over my shoulder to see my friend, Andrea, gazing at the front of the room as though the teacher had just donned a tutu and performed ballet with underwear on her head singing "These are a few of my favorite things" In Spanish.

I figured I was looking at her the same way.

At that precise moment, the bell rang. Cramming my crap together, I ran up to grab one of the paper slips from the teacher and bolted out the door.  
Tides of students were pouring from classrooms, howling and shrieking, caught up in the excitement of Friday afternoon. I felt a hand tap my shoulder and turned to look into the face of my friend Holly.

" See ya, Padfoot!" She hollered as she was swept away by the throng of students. I laughed as I threw my backpack into the yawning jaws of my crammed locker and bolted over to Andrea's locker to meet up with her.

" Hey!" I gasped.

" Hey. What took you so long?" Andrea asked, gazing at me owlishly from behind her glasses. I shrugged, moving my dirty-blonde ponytail to the side and stretching.

" Traffic." I joked. Andrea socked my arm as we bolted out front to wait for her mom to pick us up.  
It was March fifteenth, and Andrea was finally having her sweet sixteenth party that night. Then she and I would be camping in Sandy Hills the next day, I reflected, as we clambered into her mom's car.

" Hey, mom!" Andrea greeted her mother, sliding into the front seat.

" Hello, girls." Andrea's mother murmured absently. I realized she had a cell phone tucked under her ear. From phrases I overheard, it sounded like she was arranging last-minute details for Andrea's party.

We drove to the mall and parked.   
Andrea and I leaped out, and, laughing and chattering, made our way into the store where we had prepaid for two stunning dresses. And there they were, hanging behind the front counter…hers, silver, not too loose, not too tight, ankle length dress, with no shoulder straps, and with a tiara to match. And mine, flowing aqua blue, also ankle length, with thin, spaghetti thin straps and a diamond-studded necklace to match. Andrea and I stared, transfixed, at our dresses until it was time to pick up the cake.

Andrea and I had to sit this one out in the backseat; the cake was a surprise. But then, that gave us time to talk, and we were never short on words.

" This is gonna be so much fun!" I relished in the thought, relaxing in my seat.

" Yeah!" Andrea agreed. " Then we have your sweet sixteen next month, don't forget!" I smiled, closing my eyes.  
" Uh-huh." I moaned.

" Well, I know I can't wait to get my hair done!" Andrea muttered, pulling at one lock of her shoulder-length red hair. " I'm gonna love it when this hair is long enough that I can do something with it!"

" I know." I said, but none more could be spoken, because the cake had just been crammed into the front seat. We rode in solemn silence for a while. Then, without warning, I leaned over and hugged Andrea.

" Andrea," I murmured, " This will be a night to remember."

WindScar:Honk if u like our story...I mean, Review!  
Inuyashafangirl and WindScar: C Ya later!


	2. Andrea's Party

Chapter 1: Andrea's Party

When the Andrea's mom parked the car at their house, Renee and Andrea were out in a flash and were up the steps even quicker. They retreated to Andrea's room with the contest form and, sprawling on her bed, scanned the paper.  
" Wow, this is easy!" Andrea moaned. " Taking pictures…so simple!"  
" I bet we can get some good ones out in the hills!" Renee exclaimed, rolling onto her back, imaging going to Japan and seeing their friend Kagome Higurashi. Andrea was thinking the same thing as they quickly picked up their dropped things.  
" I can't believe we're going to be sixteen!" Renee sighed.  
" I already am sixteen." Andrea reminded her playfully. Renee rolled her eyes as they plopped down on the couch to watch TV.  
Two hours slipped by before it was time to get ready.  
While the girls changed into their dresses in separate bathrooms, their thoughts dwelt on the same thing; the party, the camping trip, and Japan. When they finally emerged from the bathrooms, the two friends sized one another up. Andrea looked gorgeous, the dress fitting her lithe form perfectly, showing off some but not too much. Her red hair was pulled into a short ponytail, and her blue eyes seemed to sparkle behind her glasses. The tiara was tucked into her lock, balanced perfectly.  
Renee looked equally pretty; the cool aqua of her dress brought out the shine in her eyes, while the necklace made her neck seem to glow. The girls were dressed in matching white high-heeled shoes. Laughing, Andrea grabbed Renee's hand and spun them both so that their backs collided. Grabbing hands, the two spun again, laughing for the pleasure of it, excited and pleased.  
Finally, they heard Andrea's mom call out to them. Exchanging elated looks, the two teenagers bounded downstairs just as the first guest arrived.

Forty-five minutes later, the house was alive with kids hanging out, partying, playing games like twister, or eating pizza. Off to one side, Renee and Andrea sat, sharing a Coke and watching friends tie themselves in knots in Twister. When one girl toppled sideway, soft laughter rose from the crowd.  
Then came a voice, shouting, " Karaoke time!" The voice was met by cheers, Andrea and Renee's among them. Andrea's mom spoke up.  
" And as it is Andrea's party, she can sing first!" More cheers. Andrea tried to sink back a bit, but Renee shoved her forward. Giving her friend and light punch in return, Andrea walked to the front of the mass with Renee beside her. Picking up the microphone, Andrea switched on the button.  
A song began to play, and a smile spread over Andrea's face. She closed her eyes and started to sing.

Tell me babe, how many do I shed my tears?  
Every Heart Every Heart is not a gentle yet

Shall I do? I can never say my loneliness  
Every Heart doesn't know so what to say oh what to do

As the familiar words washed over the crowd, soothing and caressing them, Renee joined in the song.

(I) was afraid of darkness cause I felt that I was left alone  
So I prayed for help to (the) distant million stars

Round & Round the planets revolve round the sun  
And we always seek after love and peace Forever more  
Growing, growing woe baby we can work it out  
Look up at the sky Every Heart is shining all today

Show me now, What kind of smile do I come across  
Every Heart Every Heart can take a step towards the dreams

All of us what to take a lasting happiness  
Whenever you feel sad, I wanna hold you & give you a sound sleep

Someday Every Hearts gonna free and easy  
We have peace of mind  
Someday all the people find the way to love

Goes & Goes the time goes on we are not alone  
We live on together and we will find some precious things  
Sometime we will smile sometime we will cry somehow  
Don't forget believing yourself - Tomorrow's never die

There is the warm heart places on my mind  
In my earliest day's there and it's so sweet  
There are many stars they have talk with me so kind  
They say yes always time's a friend of mine so shine

Round & Round the planets revolve round the sun  
And we always seek after love and peace Forever more  
Growing, growing woe baby we can work it out  
Look up at the sky Every Heart is shining all today

Goes & Goes the time goes on we are not alone  
We live on together and we will find some precious things  
Sometime we will smile sometime we will cry somehow  
Don't forget believing yourself - Tomorrow's never die

By the end of the song, people were clapping and Andrea and Renee were both singing. The two friends looked at one another, smiling. The crowd dispersed, but the two friends weren't done. Taking turns, they sang their favorite songs, I Am, Unending dream, My Dearest, and Deep forest, ending with Four Seasons.  
Then the pair enjoyed slices of piping hot pizza and more soda. By one-thirty in the morning, both were exhausted, but happy. Throwing together duffel bags for their camping trip, they waved goodbye to the last guest and collapsed in Andrea's bedroom on the floor.  
" One party down, one to go!" Andrea murmured as she flicked the lights out. Renee smiled into the darkness.  
" One to go." She agreed, drifting to sleep.

A/N: Please review and tell us what you think! Stay tuned for the next chappie! It's gonna be great! WindScar & Inuyashafangirl


	3. Double Murder Renee's POV

Chapter 2: Double Murder

The bus stopped just a block away from Kagome's residence. "Wow! I can't wait!" said Andrea.

"Yeah, I know" I said back. "This is going to be so cool! We finally get to meet our pen pal!" I saw Andrea nod in agreement as we gathered our belongings and exited the bus. We walked the short block to Kagome's. As we walked, I reflected.

It hadn't exactly been easy, getting the perfect photo. But then, as luck would have it, we had found a hot springs complete with a waterfall and a lake of bluish-green water. Perfect couldn't describe it. We had easily come in first place.

I reflected more on the plane trip, on how, the whole time, Andrea and I had bugged the Chaperons to let us go on our own. Only after convincing them that we know Kagome like our own mother did we get away from them. No here we were, and a ball of excitement was churning in my gut.

The two of us stared at the stairs leading to the Shrine house as though they went on forever. We quickly shrugged it off and started to climb the steep staircase. Soon, we got to the top and saw the most beautiful tree to our left and a gorgeous house directly in front of us.  
"I'm so glad we don't have to drag along our chaperones! I hate it when they hafta follow us!" I said. "I know what you mean," replied Andrea, "Let's see if Kagome's here!"

I nodded in agreement. The two of us walked up to the front door and I rang the doorbell. After a few minutes of waiting, we decided that no one was home. "That's strange…. Weren't we told Kagome would be here at around 2:00?" asked Andrea. "I know we're a little late 'cause of the bus schedule." Andrea paused and looked at her watch. The time was now 2:20. "Maybe she's late, too and will be back any minute."

I nodded in agreement. "Let's look around, then," I said. Andrea nodded. She liked the idea, too. It sounded like fun. We first admired the tree, which had a peculiar looking mark on it. It looked like a diamond shaped scar with a hole in the middle.

"There must be some sort of story behind this mark" commented Andrea, who had a knack for details and was curious about everything. I nodded. "Yeah, you're right! That is a rather peculiar looking scar on that tree. We should ask Kagome about it when she gets here!"  
Our wanderings led us to an old well house. The both of us have always been fascinated by old things, and this well house caught our attention. Without any hesitation, we entered the well house to find some steps. After the steps and in the center of the room stood an old well. The two of us immediately took interest in the ancient well. Andrea decided she would sit on the edge of the well, her hands firmly planted on the edge, pretending she was going to fall backwards into it. I decided to sit on the stairs. I looked at Andrea as though she had gone crazy. "What do you think you're doing, you dork? That doesn't look very safe!"

Andrea looked at me as though I had no sense of humor. "Alright, alright I'll stop!" she said as she leaned back one more time. This time, her hands slipped and she fell, screaming backwards, into the well. A bright blue light shot up from the well. I immediately got up and rushed up to the well. I looked inside, and much to my surprise, the well was empty. "Andrea!" I shouted, "Where are you! I can't see you!" When there was no response, thoughts of panic ran through my mind. "What am I going to do? My friend disappeared. What will I tell Kagome when she gets here? Or, worse, what will I tell the chaperones? It took a lot of convincing for them to let us go here without them!" I shook my head. I wasn't about to let those chaperones know. They were sometimes impossible to get along with. This was all up to me. I had to be the one to find Andrea. I put my hands on the well and sighed. "I guess the only way to find her is to jump in myself! Well, here goes" I said to myself as I jumped into the well.

To my surprise, my descent into the well was slow and pleasant. A beautiful bright blue light shone all around me. I gently touched down at the bottom of the well. Looking up, I saw beautiful blue skies. This was much different than the ceiling of an old well house. There was no sign of my friend. Looking at the walls of the well, I saw some vines leading to the top. Deciding this was my best course of action, I grabbed the vines and climbed up. After reaching the top, I saw Andrea sitting in the grass with her back to the well directly in front of me.

"Don't do that to me, girl! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" I scolded her as I gently smacked the back of her head. Andrea let out a shriek as she turned around facing me. "You dork! You just about gave _me_ a heart attack! You scared me half to death!"

"Sorry about that," I climbed out of the well and sat next to her. "Do you have any idea where we are?" I asked as I looked around at the trees. There was a slight breeze blowing our hair about.

"Sorry, no idea. Do you think we should look around?" I thought for a moment. "You know, Kagome's probably back by now and will be wondering where we are. Maybe we should go back."

"Why don't we look around for just a little bit? Come on! It'll be fun!"

I sighed. "Ok, ok, but just for a few minutes. We really need to get back, though. I have a funny feeling about this place. Something seems wrong. You know that when I feel like this, I'm usually right?" Andrea nodded as I said this, but it didn't seem to faze her. I had a feeling she was going to explore with or without me. I had to admit, it did sound like fun, but I just couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss.

After walking for a few minutes, we saw what looked exactly like that beautiful tree we saw at Kagome's house. It had the exact same diamond shaped mark with the hole in the middle. "Hey! There's that same tree from before! We must be close to the shrine! Let's go find it! By the way, you don't think we're in some sort of alternate reality, or something?" asked Andrea.

I shook my head. That didn't seem possible to me. After pondering it for a few moments, we heard a snap of a twig behind us. We both twirled around to come face to face with a little boy with red hair tied back with a blue ribbon. He wore an outfit of blue with a leaf pattern, an orange vest and and had a huge bushy tail and green eyes. He looked at the two of us with confusion.

"I've never seen you before. Who are you guys?" he asked.

"Umm…" I began, "My name is Renee, and this is Andrea"

"I'm Shippo" the boy said.

"You look like a little squirrel. Are you on your way to a costume party" I asked.

The little boy took offense to my question. "I'm a fox! I keep telling everyone that! I'm the bravest fox demon around!"

"Sorry, sorry!" I said to the fuming kid. "What did you say? You're a demon? Where are we anyways?"

"You mean you don't know? What planet are you from? The only way you wouldn't know about us demons is if…" he trailed off and suddenly leaped in the air. "You must be Kagome's friends! She told us about you! I should have guessed that right away just by looking at your strange clothing. It's just like Kagome's! I thought she said she wasn't going to bring you here!"

"How do you know Kagome?" I asked.

"Oh, she's from the future! She comes here via the old well. Didn't you know that? Isn't that how you guys got here?"

"Yeah, I guess you're right! Anyways, I thought all demons were bad, but you're alright! You're a cute little guy!" I said.

Shippo blushed at the compliment. "We only say we're demons to instill fear and to make people respect us. In a way, we can also be called animal spirits."

"I see," I said, "Can you tell us where we are?"

"Sure! That's easy! You're about 500 years in the past!"

"You're kidding!" said Andrea "That can't be possible!"

Shippo giggled at the girls' confusion. "Come on! I'll show you around! Kagome's at school, but I think she's due back really soon. She said she was going to bring you guys here. We shouldn't wander too far, in case she comes here looking for you."

Thinking that was a good idea, we nodded and followed the little fox through the forest. We didn't get very far when we heard a sinister sounding voice. Shippo froze. He turned to us and motioned for us to hide. We did and peeked around the trees we were hiding behind. Shippo hid behind a tree as well. What we saw as shocking.

We saw a young woman dressed in ancient miko clothing holding a bow and pointing its arrow at a strange looking man. The man was dressed in a long dark blue jacket with crude lighter blue stripes. He wore strange, large spiked armor on his back, which looped started at the top and ran down his back, ending at his waist, its height about the same as the top of his head. In addition to this armor, two single spikes shot out of the armor on his shoulders, slightly higher than his head. He had a vertical red eyeball with a yellow iris on his chest, which was surrounded by spiked armor as well. He wore spiked armor on his left shoulder, on his right upper arm, and more on his wrists, which ended at his elbow. He also wore a yellow sash on his waist. He had what the girls thought were red eyeballs on the top of his hands, too. Three green tentacles squirmed about on his back, his long, unkempt black hair moving about in the slight breeze. His red eyes burned with hatred at the miko. The three of us stared at what unfolded before us.

The man spoke first. "You never cease to amaze me, Kikyo. Surviving that seemingly fatal fall at Mount Hakurei into my river of miasma. That should have killed you. I have only seen you once more after that incident, and we did not get the chance to speak with eachother very much." He paused. "I can't tell you how much pleasure it gives me to see you once again before me!"  
Kikyo narrowed her eyes at the man, her arrow now pulled tighter in her bow. She grinned. "You'll find that I am full of surprises, Naraku."

Naraku smiled. "I'm going to enjoy this!"

"Likewise" Kikyo responded as she released her arrow at Naraku. The arrow came in contact with a reddish colored barrier. It fought against it for several seconds, a bright white light emanating from the spot the arrow hit. The arrow suddenly disintegrated. Kikyo stared at Naraku in disbelief. Her powers had still not fully recovered yet since their last encounter, shortly after Mount Hakurei's collapse.

"You should have avoided me. You know I no longer hold the heart of Onigumo, the worthless bandit that desired you!" said Naraku as he lifted up his right arm. One of the spikes on it grew in size. "This is where you perish!"

We turned to Shippo to find him frozen in fear. We turned our attention back to Naraku and Kikyo. The two of us silently gasped in horror at the events that unfolded before us. Naraku had suddenly released a strange crooked beam of energy from the spike of armor, which struck her in her stomach. We were shocked to see that no blood came out of her wound, but instead a purplish cloudy substance emanated from it. Kikyo fell to her knees in pain, clutching her wound. She looked at Naraku with anger. Naraku returned the look with a look of contempt, as though he were about to rid himself of a bothersome hangnail. He then held up his right hand and morphed it into a blade.

"Now die!" he said as he stabbed her in the chest. Kikyo let out a muffled scream and crumpled to the ground in pain. Within moments she was motionless. Naraku looked down at her and smiled. That bothersome miko was finally out of his hair for good. No one could survive the amount of miasma he had used against her, a far more concentrated amount than what she was exposed to at Mount Hakurei.

Andrea and I covered our mouths in shock and disbelief at what had just happened. We had just witnessed a murder. We silently hoped that he would not notice us and go away. I silently attempted to shift my feet, as they were growing tired. But to my horror, I stepped on a twig, snapping it. Shippo slapped his head as though he were saying, "Great going, you idiot!"

Naraku turned around at the sound. He smiled evilly and began to walk towards the sound. Shippo stared in utter horror as Naraku advanced towards the three of them. "Run you two! I'll try to distract him!" shouted Shippo as he ran up to Naraku.

We nodded in agreement and began to run. "I sure hope he'll be ok. He's just a kid!" Andrea said.

"Me, too!" I said, but we shouldn't go too far. We don't wanna get lost!"

"Right! Let's hide behind these trees and move the twigs outta the way!" replied Andrea, not wanting a repeat incident. The two of us agreed on this and hid. We peeked around the trees and could barely see what was happening…

"I won't let you hurt my friends, Naraku! Prepare to die!"

Naraku granted Shippo an amused smile. "You can try. I will even disengage my barrier for you, though I don't think it will do you much good!" he taunted, his barrier disappearing.

Shippo grew infuriated. He hated it when people treated him like a child. "Here I come, Naraku!" shouted Shippo as he launched himself at Naraku. Naraku simply smiled and lifted up his right arm, its spiked armor facing Shippo. The spikes on the armor suddenly grew in size, and before Shippo could disengage his attack, Naraku swung his arm at Shippo, striking him. Shippo suddenly cried out in pain. The entire length of his body was embedded in the spikes. He squirmed about, trying to dislodge himself, but was unable to. Naraku smiled at the young fox.

"I am not a man without compassion. So, you wish to free yourself? Then let me help you."

Shippo suddenly froze. He knew what would happen next. He knew he wouldn't stand a chance. He quietly hoped his new friends, Renee and Andrea got away safely. Not a moment after these last thoughts ran through his mind, Naraku violently shook his arm, dislodging him. Shippo went flying through the air, striking a nearby tree. He fell to the ground, motionless and face-down in a pool of his own blood.

Andrea and I stared at what had transpired in shock. We hated Naraku. We had just seen him murder two people. Our new friend had been murdered right before our eyes. We looked at each other and knew what we had to do. We doubted we would be able to escape, so we quickly searched our minds for some kind of plan. Andrea bent down for a moment and came back up with a stick the size of a baseball bat in her hands. She motioned for me to do the same. It only took me a moment to find a similarly sized stick. I took another look around the tree. To my horror, Naraku saw me, his eyes flickered with interest, as he began to advance towards us. I silently cursed to myself. There was no turning back. Andrea could tell by my reaction that we were in trouble. The two of us pressed our backs against our trees and waited.

"On the count of 3." whispered Andrea. I nodded. Andrea motioned with her fingers 1….2……and a quick jab with the number 3. The two of us suddenly ran out of our hiding places and charged at Naraku, letting out our version of a battle cry, waving our sticks wildly. "Die, you bastard!" I heard Andrea shout. Naraku stopped advancing and waited for us to approach him, an amused smile gracing his smug face. The two of us caught up with him in mere moments and began striking him with our sticks. Naraku calmly blocked our attacks with one of his armored arms. After a few strikes, Naraku calmly knocked our sticks from our hands with one sweep. We were now weaponless and helpless. "You fools!", he said, "Do you honestly believe mere sticks will harm me? You are so naïve!" The spikes on his right arm grew in size as he prepared to strike us. We knew what was going to happen next, and we knew we had to think fast. We did the only thing we could think of. We fell to our knees and begged for our lives. Naraku stared at us with mild amusement. He smiled wickedly and laughed.

"Your bravery amuses me. Perhaps I do have good use for you after all" he said as he retracted his spikes and lowered his arm. "Come with me and I shall spare your miserable lives." The two of us stared at each other worriedly. We didn't have a choice.

This chappie was written by Inuyashafangirl. Woohoo, this is gettin good! Review, plz! Peace!


	4. Change to Deceit: Shippo's Revival

Andrea's POV

Naraku smiled at the two of us wickedly. We had no desire to accompany him, but what choice did we have? I turned my head towards Kikyo's body, which was beginning to dissolve, the miasma slowly engulfing her entire body. Then I turned to look at Shippo's still form. I noticed Renee doing the same. Not wishing a similar fate to befall us, we reluctantly agreed. The both of us slowly nodded our heads, averting our eyes from his.

"Look at me!" Naraku demanded.

Renee complied, shivering with fear, but I refused. I have been well known for my stubbornness. I continued to stare at the ground, shivering as well. Naraku grew furious. With lightening speed, he grasped both our throats and squeezed. "If but _one_ of you defies me, you both shall perish!" he threatened. "You will do as you are told!" 

The two of us fought viciously against his grip, desperately trying to get oxygen. Upon looking into Naraku's eyes, to our horror, were filled with demented pleasure. The sick bastard was enjoying seeing us suffer! I wished we had our sticks back! I so wanted to jab it into that creepy eye on his chest! Naraku smiled at our distress. Naraku then roughly released his grip. "Now, do we understand each other?"

We coughed, put our hands to our bruised throats, and stared at him with anger. We despised him. We were not going to give him the satisfaction of an answer. Naraku smiled. "I'll take that as a 'yes'. Follow me. If you make any attempt to escape, or if you call for help, I will kill the both of you instantly, and without mercy."

We hesitantly nodded as Naraku walked past us and towards the old well. I felt a sense of terror and dread as his tentacles touched me as brushed past us. We seriously doubted we could outrun this jerk, so we fell in step closely behind him. Within moments, the well was within our sight. As we neared the well, a chance for escape rushed through my mind. I flashed a smile. There _is_ a chance! We were going to escape! Renee seemed to be thinking the same thing, as I saw her grin as well. The well was now in front of us, with Naraku blocking it from our view. Naraku bent down to retrieve something from the well's exterior. _Now's our chance! We can jump back into the well and return to the present!_ My eyes met Renee's. She knew exactly what was on my mind. I would run to the right, Renee to the left, and into the well while he's focused on something else! We nodded to each other, "Now!". We bolted. I ran around Naraku's right, Renee to his left. We never reached the well. Instead, I felt a cold, slimly tentacle suddenly wrap itself around my neck, yanking me off my feet. Falling with a thud, I instantly gripped the tentacle. It seemed to have come from his arm. _Did he just morph his arm into this disgusting thing?_ His other arm was a tentacle that appeared to have caught something as well. Or someone. Renee. Gasping for breath, I knew we had made a fatal mistake. I couldn't see Renee. She must be on the other side of the well, most likely in the same predicament as I. As my eyesight began to blacken, I knew unconsciousness, or worse, death, was immanent for the both of us. I struggled to apologize for our attempted escape.

Naraku chuckled. The tentacle suddenly released itself from my throat, changing back to his arm. Coughing violently, I looked at Naraku with rage. Renee's coughing informed me that she, too, was still alive! _Thank goodness!_

"I shall give the both of you one more chance!" Suddenly, the two of us were each surrounded by the same type of barrier that Naraku had used when he was attacking Kikyo. Then to our great surprise, we were lifted into the air. Tears welled up in our eyes. We barely even knew Shippo, and he was now gone. The two of us stared at Shippo's body as we continued to gain altitude until he was too small for us to see him. The both of us hated heights, especially when there was nothing solid underneath us. We both screamed as we both continued to soar into the air and eventually stopped when we were well above the trees. To our right was Naraku hovering in the air as well, surrounded by his own barrier. We absolutely hated that 'holier than thou' look on his face. Then Naraku, Renee, and I flew away in a northeasterly direction. Our thoughts were filled with fear and despair, not knowing if we would ever be able to get home. I looked over to Renee, whose face was first filled with fear, which quickly turned to anger. I heard her mutter, "That bastard! He'd better not make me miss my sweet sixteen birthday party!" Naraku's hawk-like ears heard Renee's remark. "So sorry to inconvenience you," said Naraku sarcastically, "If you wish, I could let you go, but it is a long way to the ground, and I doubt your weak human body would survive the fall." Renee fell silent. I held my breath, waiting for Renee's barrier to disappear and for her to fall to her death, but to my great relief, it did not. I had forgotten about Renee's party. My demeanor had suddenly changed as well. How dare that bastard make my best friend miss her sweet sixteen birthday! He obviously knows nothing about what is important to teenage girls. He's going to pay for this! My mind began to formulate an escape plan. After he sends us on his damned mission, we'll simply run away and return to our own time, assuming that well works both ways. We began to wonder if Kagome was able to travel to this time period. We silently hoped she would figure out what had happened in case my plan did not work.

Inuyasha woke up suddenly from his nap just outside Kaede's hut on a tree branch high in the air, his Tetsusaiga gently resting against his chest with his arms around it. The smell of blood filled his nostrils. He recognized it immediately. It was Shippo's. The smell was mixed with Naraku's scent as well. "That little rascal," thought Inuyasha, "He went and got himself in trouble again! He should have come here and told us first!" Inuyasha immediately leaped down to the ground and hurried inside the hut. Miroku and Sango were sitting across from each other discussing their next plan to destroy Naraku. Miniature Kirara was curled in a ball, sleeping peacefully in Sango's lap. The sight of Inuyasha's quick and desperate entrance put their conversation on hold. Kirara woke up as well, sensing something was wrong. "What's the matter, Inuyasha?" asked Sango.

"There's no time to explain! We all have to go right now! I just smelled Shippo's blood mixed with Naraku's stench! The little guy's in trouble! There's no time to waste! Hurry!" he said as he turned back and rushed out of the hut, running as fast as he could. A look of panic rushed across Sango's face, Miroku's face was filled with great concern for Shippo's safety, and Kirara mewed worriedly. Sango and Miroku immediately got to their feet. Miroku grabbed his staff, Sango her Hirakotsu. The three of them ran out of the hut and followed Inuyasha. Kirara suddenly became engulfed in flames, small at first, and suddenly grew in size. The fire dissipated as quickly as it started, revealing a ferocious, large lion sized demon cat. Fire began to emanate from her paws and two tails. Miroku and Sango quickly mounted the giant cat, and they continued to follow Inuyasha deep in the forest.

Kagome ran home from school as fast as she could. She was late and she felt horrible. She looked at her watch. The time showed 2:45. She had said her "good-byes" to her friends Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi, saying she was in a hurry and couldn't eat out with them as she usually did at WacDonalds. Her friends immediately understood and wished her to have fun with her pen pals. They reminded her to not forget to introduce them to her boyfriend, Inuyasha. Her friends absolutely loved him when they first met him. Her three friends were to meet up with their pen pals later that evening, and couldn't wait. As Kagome reflected on their conversation, she thought, "Darn it! I told them I would be there at around 2:00! I should have told them 3:00! My math test took longer than expected. Why does math have to be the last class of the day?" Her pen pals, Renee and Andrea must be waiting for her at her home, and no one was there. Her mother and Sota took Grandpa out to go shopping. It was going to be just her and her new friends with the whole house to themselves. She continued running and finally reached the steps that lead to her house. Ignoring her aching knees, she bolted up the steps as fast as her legs would allow her, trying to ignore the heavy backpack on her back. Upon reaching the top, she immediately looked around for Renee and Andrea. She saw no sight of them. She was confused. Didn't they know she would be there as soon as she could? Did they get lost and are still on their way? She called out Renee's and Andrea's names but got no answer. She decided the two of us must be exploring the area. She let out a sigh. _"This place isn't that great,"_ she thought to herself. "I suppose I should track them down, now" she said out loud to herself, and began her searching. Her search brought her to the well house. The doors were open and she knew she always closed it. She wondered if Inuyasha came to visit her, but he would have shown up by now. She walked inside the well house and spotted a couple hand bags that were not there before. Upon looking inside them, she found American passports belonging to Renee and Andrea! _"Oh, no!"_ she thought, walking up to the well and peering inside, _"Did they go into the well? They shouldn't have been able to get there on their own! Heck! I wasn't even sure if I could get them there at all! How would they have known about it, anyways? They could be in great danger! They know nothing about the Feudal Era. I had not even thought of the possibility of them wandering there all alone!"_ She grabbed her bow and quiver full of arrows, which were resting on the ground on the other side of the well. She took a deep breath, silently hoping her friends would be all right, and jumped in. A brilliant blue light shot up from the well as she disappeared. 

Inuyasha reached the grisly site first. He first spotted Shippo, dead in a pool of his own blood. Inuyasha gasped at the horrible site before him. He knew immediately who was responsible for this, and he wasn't about to let him get away with it. Kirara, Sango, and Miroku arrived moments later. The two of them dismounted Kirara and rushed over to Shippo's side. Sango and Miroku gasped as well. Sango ran up to Shippo and picked him. Upon turning him around, they saw the extent of the damage inflicted on him. It was brutal. Several large puncture wounds lined the entire length of his body. Sango cradled him, holding him close to her chest. Tears began to well up in her eyes, making it difficult for her to see. Blood began to stain her clothes, but she did not care. Miroku's face was filled with rage, as was Inuyasha's. While using his staff to support his weight, Miroku looked to the side and spotted a bow on the ground with miasma bubbling from the ground nearby. A lump formed in his throat. He did not spot it before, for his full attention was focused on Shippo. "Inuyasha! Look over there!" he said, pointing in the direction of the miasma. Inuyasha turned his attention to where Miroku was pointing. Inuyasha's world seemed to crash around him. He stared in disbelief at the sight. All he saw were remnants of red and white clothing disintegrating under the harsh purple colored substance. He immediately knew who it was. "Kikyo!" he shouted as he ran over to Kikyo's remains and collapsed to the ground in grief. He picked up the bow and held it tightly in his hands. He felt like crying, but no tears came to his eyes. He was enraged. This was the third and final time Naraku had "killed" her and he was not there to protect her. It was his fault for not detecting Naraku's stench soon enough. Kagome would be unable to help her this time. There was nothing left of Kikyo. His mind swarmed with anguish. "Naraku's gonna pay for what he's done!" Inuyasha shouted. 

Kagome climbed out of the well and began to look around for Renee and Andrea. Just a few short minutes after she emerged from the well, she heard Inuyasha's voice cry out in anguish. She froze. Something was wrong! She immediately ran towards Inuyasha's voice. Upon reaching the site, she dropped her backpack and fell to her knees in disbelief. Sango was cradling a very still Shippo, and Inuyasha was on his hands and knees gripping Kikyo's bow. "What happened?" she asked to no one in particular.

"Oh, Kagome", said Sango as she got up and walked over to Kagome and knelt down next to her. She held out Shippo's body over to her. Kagome gasped at the horrible sight. She accepted Shippo from Sango and hugged him, not caring that her school uniform was being stained with his blood. She held him close for a full minute, tears flowing down her face in buckets. Her friend was brutally murdered and no one had been able to save him. She slowly and gently handed Shippo back to Sango. Kagome got up slowly and walked over to Inuyasha, who did not seem to notice her approaching him. She gently placed her hand on his shoulder, trying to comfort him. She knew full well what the sight meant. Kikyo was dead once again, and there was no way of helping her now. "Kikyo's really dead this time," choked Inuyasha. "I really screwed up this time! I should have been there for her! I'm always failing somebody! Damn it!" he shouted as he pounded his fist into the ground, his mouth quivering in rage. 

"No one's blaming you, Inuyasha" said Kagome.

"Tell that to Kikyo, why don'cha?" he retorted. Then suddenly realizing his tone, he changed it to a soft voice. "I'm sorry, Kagome. I just…. I just keep failing those close to me. I'm afraid I'll fail you, too."

Kagome nodded, accepting Inuyasha's apology. She turned her head over to Sango, who was still cradling Shippo. Miroku was now comforting her. She sighed. They would have to bury Shippo soon. "The poor guy" she thought.

The sound of bushes being disturbed interrupted her thoughts. She turned around to come face to face with Sesshomaru. Inuyasha didn't turn around. He knew who it was. Sesshomaru spoke first. "Well, well, little brother, I see you once again have failed to save that woman Kikyo."

"Shut the hell up, you bastard!" Inuyasha shouted as he shot up to his feet, dropping Kikyo's bow. He grasped onto the handle of his Tetsusaiga, preparing himself for battle. Inuyasha's stance did not faze Sesshomaru. He stood there and stared his younger brother down. He then turned his head to face Inuyasha's friends, grieving over Shippo's body. "And I see you've failed to protect one of your friends, Inuyasha. You are so pathetic!"

"What would you know about it, you bastard?"

"Hmph. You are weak, Inuyasha--"

"Lord Sesshomaru, Lord Sesshomaru!" a small voice called out, interrupting his speech. He turned around and looked down at the owner of the voice. It was a young girl, no more than 7 years of age. "What is it, Rin?" he asked. Rin had wandered over to Sango and Miroku. She was staring at Shippo, grief filled her face.

"Lord Sesshomaru, can't you help him? He's my friend. He's hurt real bad. Please?"

Sesshomaru sighed. Suddenly, his Tenseiga began to pulsate and shake. He looked down at his sword. "So, Tenseiga, you wish to be used?" he asked the sword quietly. He took one more glance at Inuyasha and turned around and walked over to the group that surrounded Shippo. He looked into Rin's eyes, which were filled with tears. He sighed and nodded. "Move and leave the fox" he commanded. Miroku and Sango looked at Sesshomaru briefly. Both were a bit surprised, but complied. The two of them, along with Rin and Kirara left Shippo's side and joined Inuyasha and Kagome. They all watched at what unfolded next.

Sesshomaru drew out his Tenseiga and held it out. Upon staring at Shippo, he spotted the messangers from the underworld hovering over his body. Sesshomaru closed his eyes for a moment. He suddenly opened them and swung the sword, slaughtering the demons. Color suddenly returned to Shippo's face. His wounds healed themselves. He slowly opened his eyes, staring at his savior. Sesshomaru was the last person he would expect to see. Sesshomaru sheathed his sword and turned to Rin. "Let's go. There is nothing more to accomplish here."

"Yes, m'lord!" replied Rin as she followed him, away from Inuyasha and his friends.

"Sesshomaru, wait!" shouted Kagome. Sesshomaru stopped walking, but did not turn around. "Thank you!" she said. Sesshomaru did not turn around. He simply nodded and continued on his way. Shippo shot up to his feet and ran over to Sesshomaru and stood directly in front of him. He looked up into Sesshomaru's eyes and thanked him as well. Tears were welling up in Shippo's eyes. Sesshomaru nodded once again and walked around Shippo, continuing on his way, Rin closely behind him.

Shippo ran over to his friends and embraced each an every one of them. Kagome had never been happier in her life. She almost forgot about Renee and Andrea. "Umm.. Inuyasha?" she began.

"What is it?"

"You remember I spoke with you guys about my friends from the States? I think they might have found their way over here…"

"Oh, Kagome! That reminds me!" interrupted Shippo. "I ran into two girls from your era….Right before Naraku… you know…" his voice trailed off.

"Were they beautiful?" inquired Miroku with a grin.

Sango gave him a cold stare. She calmly repositioned her hiraikotsu on her shoulder and "accidentally" wacked Miroku against the side of his head. "Ouch," he yelled as he tenderly rubbed the newly formed lump on his head.

Kagome gasped at what Shippo had said, ignoring Miroku's comment. "Did they tell you their names?"

"Yeah, they did. They're Andrea and Renee." Shippo responded.

"You mean Kagome's friends could be in Naraku's clutches at this very moment?" asked Inuyasha, his tone of voice indicating great concern. _"Damn it! This is why they shouldn't have come here!"_

"I don't know! I told them to run away… I really don't know if they got away or not," said Shippo.

"We must help them! I can't stand by when two beautiful women are in trouble!" shouted Miroku with a tone of authority.

_"This is bad! We have no idea where Naraku's castle is! Those poor girls know nothing about Naraku. They have no idea what he is even capable of…"_ thought Kagome. 

Naraku, Renee, and I finally reached what appeared to be a dark and creepy ancient castle surrounded by purple clouds. Our barriers gently set us on the ground. Naraku's barrier disappeared, but ours remained on. Naraku motioned for us to follow him, and we complied. He stopped at the entrance and motioned with one hand stretched out for us to enter before him. "The barriers that surround you protect the both you from the miasma that surrounds this castle. Upon entering my castle, they will disappear. If you attempt to escape, the miasma outside will kill you." The two of us entered the castle and Naraku followed us inside, the doors to the castle closing behind us. Our barriers immediately disappeared just as Naraku promised. We stopped a few feet inside. Naraku walked around us and stopped a few more feet in front of us. He turned around to face us and grinned.

The two of us stared at him in defiance. "What the hell you want from us, you sick bastard!" I shouted. Renee elbowed me hard. "You wanna get us both killed, you moron?" she whispered.

Naraku simply chuckled. "I like you. You've got spirit! Do not worry; I won't kill either of you just yet! To think, if you had any idea who I was or what I am capable of, you would not be speaking to me in that manner!" He walked a short distance away from us and turned around to face us. "This is what I want you to do… I want you to retrieve the remaining sacred jewel shards from my enemies. Succeed, and I just might let you live. Fail me, and you will not enjoy the consequences."

"We don't even know what those are! How do you expect--" Renee began.

"Shut up, you wench!" Naraku shouted. I saw Renee shrink back. Naraku continued "The Sacred Jewel bestows great power to it's wielder." He reached into his jacket and pulled out a small black sphere. It seemed to be missing a few pieces. "The jewel has been shattered, and a single shard gives its user unimaginable powers. Just one of these shards enabled you two to travel to this time. Ordinarily, only that hanyou Inuyasha and that wench Kagome have been able to do so. I was curious to see if a single shard embedded in the side of the well would enable some poor, unsuspecting soul to travel here so that I may use them. I want them all to restore the jewel to its former glory!" he smiled and chuckled evilly. "And you two are going to assist me."

"No way in hell!" I shouted at the deranged man. "Go to hell you bastard!"

"Yeah!" Renee agreed with me. She had no desire to help a sick and demented man like Naraku.

Naraku frowned at our refusal to cooperate. "You young ladies obviously have a short memory, so let me refresh it," he said as he walked over to us. With great speed, his hands were once again gripped around our throats. This time, he squeezed even harder. Upon looking into his face once again, was filled with sick, demented pleasure. I thought we would pass out for sure this time. When Naraku was satisfied with our terrified expressions, he roughly let go, and we coughed and greedily sucked in our precious oxygen. "I am feeling generous today. I shall grant you one more chance. Next time, I won't let go and you both shall perish!" he said as he grinned.

"Now, then where were we?" continued Naraku, "Oh, yes! The Sacred Jewel!" He stepped back a few steps. The long spikes of armor shooting out of his back grew in size. He removed them, more armor growing back in its place. He held out the two long spikes, and they morphed into swords, each with a purple hue. He tossed them on the ground in front of our feet. "These swords I am entrusting you with are made from my bones. They shall help you in your mission. They are each filled with my miasma, a very powerful poison. I believe you witnessed its effects on that miko. Don't even think of using these blades against me. They will have no effect due to the fact they were made from a part of me."

We nodded slowly, but refusing to pick up the swords.

"And one more thing," he continued. He reached inside his jacket and pulled out two black shards. "These are sacred jewel shards. I am going to entrust each of you with one. It will make your strength much more powerful, and increases your chance for success. They are filled with my miasma and if there is any attempt to remove or in any way tamper with them, including Kagome's purifying powers, they will instantly release the miasma into your bodies, instantly killing you!"

The both of us gulped. This did not sound good. Naraku smiled at our terrified expressions. "Turn around!" he commanded. "These will be embedded in each of your brainstems! Once they have been implanted, I shall call you my daughters. Like good children, you will obey each and every command." 

_"Yuck!"_ I thought, but we had no choice. While shaking in fear for our lives, the two of us complied. He roughly grabbed onto Renee's right shoulder and forced it into the back of head. Her screams echoed throughout the castle. She fell to the ground writhing in pain. He then turned to me and did the same. I too fell to the ground and screamed. The pain was immense. Now it was both of our screams that echoed throughout the castle. Naraku smiled and closed his eyes. It was music to his ears. After a few minutes of screaming, the pain subsided and the two of us sat up. We stared at Naraku with hatred. We slowly rose to our feet, picking up our swords.

"Now on to business…my children," said Naraku, "You are to retrieve the two sacred jewel shards from the young wolf demon leader Koga, and the single shard that Kagome possesses. The order in which you collect these shards matters not. After these shards are in my possession, I shall have the completed Shikon no Tama, and no force will be able to oppose me! There will be other tasks I will request of you as well. You will do well to complete them." He lowered his voice and continued. "And then, my daughters, I shall free you from your services." His maniacal laughter echoed throughout the castle… 

A/N: This chappie was once again written by Inuyashafangirl. Tell us what think!


	5. Daughters of the Demon Lord

Inuyasha lifted his darkened golden gaze.  
Kagome was sending up an irritating stream of endless chatter, and while she said she was confidant they would track down her missing friends, her senseless, never-ending babble betrayed her obvious concern.  
It was catching.  
Inuyasha's eyes darted, and he suppressed a shudder. He told himself Naraku was like a flea clinging to his skin…a flea he desperately needed to get rid of. He told himself he could take Naraku on anytime.  
Yet, he thought back to the time Naraku had nearly absorbed Koga. Inuyasha had to admit, despite the rivalry he had with Koga, for Kagome's heart, the wolf Youkai was indeed a skilled fighter and it would take something very powerful to take him down.  
" Or very tainted." Inuyasha stopped as the words rolled off of his tongue. The others were staring at him with open surprise. Inuyasha clamped his mouth shut and sniffed the air. An acrid stench stung his nostrils; indeed, the scent of something tainted.  
" Inuyasha?" Sango spoke his name quietly, but now Kagome had stiffened too, hands on hips, head tilted.  
" I can sense jewel shards. Two of them. About three miles that way." Kagome pointed to her right, the direction in which her head was canted.  
" Right!" Battlespirit propelled Inuyasha into an upward lunge. Kirara let out a singing purr of amusement as she leaped after her hanyou friend with the others astride her back.  
Shippo, crouched on Kirara's head between her pointed ears, felt waves of confusion overwhelming him. His sense of smell, though not as attuned as Inuyasha's was definitely picking up a scent, overlaid now with the evil stench of Naraku, but still there, however undistinguishable.  
Shaking his head, the kitsune decided it must just be tiredness getting to him. They were going after a demon. Why should it seem so wrong to him?

Legs flying, Andrea and I covered what seemed to be miles of turf in a matter of heartbeats.  
Our assignments were simple and to the point, etched on our controlled mines like words carved into stone. We were to kill the Youkai Koga and steal his jewel shards. It was an easy and straightforward task, one Naraku assured us we could accomplish with only a bit of hindrance, if any.  
Fueled by the tainted shards in our heads and the dark bloodlust simmering in our hearts, we followed the trail Naraku had instructed us on the night before, when we had begun to trek.  
Two shapes shot out of the undergrowth before us. They were stumbling with the effort of running, and bloodlust burned in my veins as I fell on the nearest. He let out a rusty cry and fell under my weight, crying to his companion, " Ginta!"  
" Hakkaku!"  
My eyes distended in disbelief at our luck. Naraku had mentioned these two as Koga's sidekicks. How lucky we found them now!  
My blade, Takai, spun out of its sheath and tasted the blood of the vessels near the base of Hakkaku's skull. His agonized wails were matched only by those of his companion as he suffered the same treatment by Andrea's blade, Kurushimi. Blood showered up onto our finely toned skin, and I felt the massive bloodlust filling my already dimmed senses. I could barely breathe for it, my air intakes short and heavy as my blade continued to slice through Hakkaku's soft flesh. I heard the snap of ligaments under my hard blade, and I laughed aloud, a normally melodious sound deadened by the darkness pulsing within me. Andrea was laughing too, a mirthless sound that would normally have chilled me, now made me feel more alive.  
Ripping my sword free, I let the body of my victim sink to the ground in a crumbled heap. Andrea did the same, and we charged on.  
Now, emerging into a clearing, I saw him. Koga.  
He wore a brown pelt and his long hair was pony tailed high on his head. He was speaking to a pair of wolves, his voice deep and gruff. I saw Andrea unsheathed her sword, and I followed her example. Quietly, we stalked forward.  
Not quietly enough.  
Koga whirled, sniffing.  
" Who the hell are you? And why do I smell the blood of my comrades all over your filthy bodies?" His eyes widened. One of the wolves snarled, and Koga spun around to hush it. I took the opportunity to launch my attack.  
Warning! Extreme violence ahead!  
With a leap and a twist, I planted my feet against Koga's shoulder blades and dug my sword between his shoulders. I wrenched the sword free as dark blood came spurting up, spraying into my face, barely missing my eyes blacked by battlespirit. Andrea's attack came next, this time centered on the wolves. Her blade, lined with jagged, thorn-sharp teeth to the point, hacked through one wolf's shoulder, sending it staggering. Again, her blade bit down, this time into the wolf's eyes. It stumbled to its knees, howling in terrified, pained fury. It turned its head and an old human emotion welled up inside me, like a tiny spark in the darkest night: Pity. I felt pity, seeing the bleeding chasms where the eyes had once been, now torn out and flung across the clearing. I felt pity, and I almost felt human again.  
Then it was gone, and I lunged to finish the job, while Koga was still immobilized.  
I could have finished it then, but the wolf had to dodge, had to draw out its death. My blade, instead, peeled back a ribbon of flesh. Leaving Andrea to slowly, carefully hack the wolf to pieces, I returned to Koga, eyes fixed on his legs, so that I was ready when he leaped up, blood dribbling from his back, to aim a flying kick, not at my head, but at Andrea's.  
Another human emotion; loyalty. I sprang after Koga with a vicious cry.  
Andrea was as prepared as I was, though. Giving the dying wolf a kick that clearly dislodged its neck and killed it, she thrust her sword up awkwardly through Koga's gut. He remained impaled for what seemed like forever, and would have been impaled longer, but Andrea used a complicated twist to dislodge him, and as she turned to the second wolf, which sprang with wide jowls for a killing bite, I advanced on Koga.  
He sprang, and this time his aim was true. Despite his injuries, I could feel the power rippling through his muscles as his foot connected full-out with my face, bowling me onto my butt. Andrea howled with rage, killed the second wolf with a stabbing of the head, and sprang at Koga herself, sword upraised.  
The anger I had toward Koga for striking me, switched over to Andrea, who, in my mind, was stealing my prey. Knocking her aside, I went for Koga myself. Andrea drew even with me, and together we drove ours swords to the hilt in his heart.  
Koga's eyes widened. He opened his mouth to speak and divulged a trickle of blood. He slumped forward on the swords and his hand reached for Andrea's throat, as though in his dying moment the wolf Youkai would destroy one of his attackers.  
Yet he hadn't even the strength to support his own weight, and his hand hung loose about Andrea' throat. She watched with quiet satisfaction as he bled out, and then together, we withdrew our swords and twisted them to cross and slice into Koga's chest.  
His head struck the ground with a sickening crack and he alee there, surrounded in his own blood. A cynical laugh, so like Naraku's, welled up in my chest as I cut the jewel shards from Koga's legs, letting fountains and spurts of blood pour free. Then, dipping my head quietly, I followed Andrea from the clearing, back toward Naraku.  
End Violence…for now

Inuyasha's pounding strides faltered slightly. The scent of dark minions, along with Kagome's charting of the jewel shards, was so erratic that the hanyou and Kirara had to change directions on several occasions. For the brief period of about ten minutes the jewel shards remained in one place but moved with such dizzying speed it nearly made Kagome sick, trying to focus on them. They went still, then, and Inuyasha's footsteps halted entirely. He lifted his nose to the wind, and then recoiled as though something had attempted to bite him on the face.  
" What is it?" Miroku called. It was Sango who answered, her voice weak with disbelief as she gazed into a clearing not far away.  
" Koga…"  
And so it was.  
Kagome cried out in anger and misery as Kirara set down. Two wolves lay at different edges of the clearing. One, with it's back to them. The other, facing them, eyes widened. Blood ran down its muzzle from a stab wound on its forehead and dripping off of its nose. Miroku dismounted Kirara and knelt beside the second wolf. He turned the hefty body over and then backed, a startled exclamation rising in his throat.  
The wolf had no eyes.  
In the center of the clearing, Inuyasha was crouched beside Koga, checking the wolf Youkai's pulse while Kagome stood over him, hands over her mouth as tears leaked down her face. Inuyasha looked up, shaking his head slowly. Kagome's face drifted into her hands, and for a moment her vehement sobs were the only noise in the clearing. Then Sango approached, one slow step at a time, and closed the second wolf's eyes as Inuyasha did the same for Koga. Quivering with revulsion, Miroku shut the first wolf's eyes as well, so that it did not look quite so ghastly.  
" What did this to them?" Sango choked out. The others looked lost, but Shippo had recognized the scent that clung to Koga's body, and the bodies of the wolves. Yet to tell Inuyasha would mean certain doom for Koga's attackers, who Shippo liked very much.  
Renee, and Andrea, had somehow fallen prey to Naraku.  
Kagome gave a low, shocked yelp, and Shippo watched in horror as the bodies of Koga and the wolves disintegrated under the powerful strain of miasma. A cry of horror caught in Shippo's throat.  
What had his friends, Renee and Andrea, become?

As we ran, I felt Koga's blood clinging to my clothes. Disgusted, I ran faster, feeling the pulsation of the jewel shards in my pocket. Andrea matched my speed stride for stride, so we reached Naraku's castle as one. With a shudder, I passed Kanna, one of Naraku's prime minions, and entered his throne room.  
" So you succeeded? Good." Naraku hissed. " Very good, my daughters. Now rise." He added, for we had crouched on bended knee before him. " That is better. Now, are you ready for your second task?"  
" We are, my lord." Andrea and I chorused together. Naraku nodded approvingly, and then held out his hand. In his callused palm I placed the two jewel shards, remembering, with relish, the feel of my first kill.  
" Excellent. Now, I see, my daughters, that your were only slightly injured. That is good, better than I would have expected on your first mission. Now, you see, there are only four jewel shards left. One lies in the possession of Kagome Higurashi. The other three…are yet to be dealt with." Naraku raised one eyebrow.  
" Now, to business. There is a demon I wish for to exterminate…" And while we took the orders without question, I felt my gaze being drawn towards the back of the room. There I saw a boy, probably twelve or thirteen years of age. His head was bowed and his eyes were downcast. But when I looked away I felt his gaze being trained on the back of my neck. It made my skin shiver so much that my whole body locked up. My toe scuffed the floor and Naraku's gaze swung to me.  
" Were you paying attention?" he snapped. My eyes flew wildly around the room. Andrea glanced away, and I could see I would get no help from her. Shaking my head sullenly, I braced myself for any punishment that might befall me.  
None came. Naraku was watching me with an amused expression, and only said, in a tone of deadly calm, " Do not waste your worries or your poor human eyesight on Kohaku. He is worthless." I nodded, but couldn't help glancing over my shoulder again, only to see this boy, this Kohaku, had vanished into the shadows.  
" Now, I must name you, mustn't I?" Naraku went on silkily. He turned to Andrea, stepping before her, and he gazed down at her, long and hard.  
" You will be Musume." He murmured, and he cupped her chin in one hand, tilting her head back until he could kiss her on the forehead. Then he turned to me.  
" And you…yes, you, my feisty daughter, shall be Otome. I believe that suits you." Something inside of me shuddered as he kissed my forehead. It felt like a bird was trapped in my chest, and somehow, I felt that the  
" worthless human" Kohaku could help me free it.  
Andrea looked around, seeming disgusted. But then Naraku straightened up, and I knew the next mission was to be assigned now.  
" Otome, Musume, it is time you went after the Youkai Sesshomaru. Now, here is the plan…"

Written by WindScar. Please Review! Thank you!


	6. AsDeathComesLife As Life Comes Sacrifice

Ch. 6 As Death Comes Life; As Life Comes Sacrifice

Inuyasha glanced up from the graves of the two wolves.  
Kagome was crouched, grief-stricken, beside Koga. Silent tears stained her pretty face and glistened in her eyes. Inuyasha couldn't understand why she cried for the wolf demon…not exactly, anyways…but he let her grieve.  
Miroku and Sango hovered not far away from Kagome. Shippo was huddled on Miroku's shoulder, thinking.  
Of course, he scented Renee and Andrea all over the place…but what could he do? Going after them himself would be dangerous….no, it would be suicide…but if and when the others found out, he couldn't just stop them…they would ask why he hadn't told sooner. Such dilemma!

" Shippo." Sango spoke quietly. " You look as if you ingested miasma. Is something wrong?"  
" Just…sad about Koga." Shippo lied quickly, guiltily, Sango seemed about to ask more, when Kagome let out a deafening sound, half-wail, half-shriek, and scrambled back. Inuyasha reached her side in a moment, the others a few paces behind him.

" Look at that…" Kagome whispered hoarsely. Inuyasha stared at Koga…or what had been Koga. Now, it was just a pile of…nothing. Broken down by the miasma from his killer's sword.  
" Oh…" Was all Sango could squeak out. Miroku was struck dumb, as was Inuyasha, though he fisted his hand in anger. Shippo stared, horror struck. A single word broke from his lips, half heartbroken sob, half angry snarl.  
" Why?" He whispered. " Why?"

Renee's POV  
Andrea and I slipped through the dusky light, possessed eyes flicking around the undergrowth warily. Our swords were raised at ready. Takai felt strong in my grip, and waning sunlight glinted on Kurushimi's jagged, teeth-studded edges. Feeling all the more confidant for the strength of our blades, I upped the pace, and Andrea moved swiftly to match my movements. Stride by wary stride we approached a cove of trees, from whence a soft singing could be heard.

" That is the human child, Rin." I whispered, my haunted eyes blinking slowly. The music stirred something inside me. Andrea flinched, and then we padded on. Pushing into the grove of trees, I raised my sword and let out a faint snarl.

Sesshomaru was nowhere in sight. Rin and Sesshomaru's vassal, Jaken, were seated near a slumbering dragon demon. Rin lifted her head and let out a faint scream. Andrea darted forward, striking Rin across the forehead and silencing her. Rin collapsed, unconscious, as Andrea and I loomed over Jaken.

" Surrender yourselves, mortal girls!" Jaken squealed. I reached out, grabbed the staff he was carrying, and cast it aside with a worldly smirk. Jaken shrank back, looking terrified.

" This is the end of the line for you, toad." Andrea muttered. Grabbing Jaken by his neck, she began to gut him. I held his mouth shut, so that his tortured screams were silenced as he bled to death in our hands.  
Once we had peeled loose all of his insides, Andrea and I cast him aside, and reached to do the same to Rin. I raised my sword, ready to strike.

" The hell do you think you're doing!" A voice snarled into my ear. For a heartbeat, I suspected it was Sesshomaru, until something jerked me flat on my back. Andrea growled deep in her throat as something pressed over my shoulders, pinning me down.

" Don't kill her!" Kohaku snarled inches from my face. Twisting, I wriggled free and rose to my feet. He rose beside me, staring lividly from Andrea to me and back again. I faced him defiantly.

" Lord Naraku…our father…ordered us to kill the girl and use her body as bait to lure Sesshomaru to the castle!" I snapped at him. Andrea backed me up with, " We obey our father, not you, you pitiful scrap of flesh!"  
Kohaku looked slightly hurt, for a moment, before he shrugged.

" Whatever. I don't control you, but I'll tell you this…Inuyasha and Sesshomaru are both hunting you."  
Then he was gone.

" In-Inuyasha?" I stared at the ground, wondering why that name meant something to me. Andrea looked just as ponderous, before she spoke decisively, " We'll let the girl live, and take her back to the castle with us."

" Agreed." I nodded, slung Rin over my shoulder, and was moving off when Andrea called, "What about the dragon?"

I turned back.  
" Kill him." I said indifferently. As I walked away, I heard Andrea' blade slice into thick flesh, and when she joined me, all traces of the humanity in her had gone, as they had from me. Our bloodlust and battlespirit restored, we dashed on, not knowing what awaited us at the castle.

Kagome, crouched on Inuyasha's back, felt him shudder to a stop. The demonic aura here was so strong it nearly choked her, and she was just a human. Inuyasha held one arm across his nose, trying to block the stench as he stared at Naraku's castle, eyes narrowed venomously.

" What's happening here?" Came a deadly voice from somewhere to their left, and Kagome looked over to see Hakudoushi approaching them with swift, limping steps. She wondered why he was limping, and then glared, hoping whatever it was, was really hurting him.

" Invaders?" Hakudoushi sounded mildly interested, though his eyes flashed with excitement, " Inuyasha, and his puny friends?"

" Hakudoushi, is it?" Inuyasha snarled, drawing his sword. It seemed he hadn't forgotten what Hakudoushi had nearly done to Kagome long ago, when he still bore the appearance of an infant.

" Indeed. I'm…pleased you remember me. And…well, well. Monk and Demon Slayer. I see you've still managed to cling to life."

" That's something you will find much harder to do than expected!" Miroku threatened. Hakudoushi let a Cheshire-cat grin slide over his lips.

" But of course." he lifted one hand and flicked his wrist. At once, a tide of demons surged from the castle, every shape, size, and color imaginable. Heading them was Kagura, the Wind Sorceress, flanked by Kanna.  
Shippo leaped to attention, beginning to gather the power of his Fox magic into his hands. Kagome stood beside him, notching an arrow into her bow; Sango moved until her shoulder touched Miroku's, and both raised their weapons; Inuyasha held Tetsusaiga and gave Hakudoushi a fierce glare as the Youkai boy fell back to join his sisters.

Then, over a rise in the ground appeared Kohaku. He froze, eyes distending in shock. His eyes locked with Sango's and the silent look that passed between them said it all; Kohaku did not want to fight them.  
" Well, Hakudoushi, what have you dragged in this time?"

Shippo and Kagome both stiffened, and glanced back at the same time. Shippo fought back a howl of misery.

Far off, in the forest where he had retreated to ponder quietly, Sesshomaru heard the muffled, quickly deadened, scream of the human child Rin. His war ruff rippled in the cold, foreboding breeze as Sesshomaru bounded back toward the temporary resting spot. If Jaken had let anything happen to Rin…

The demon Lord skidded to a halt, head raised, chest heaving.  
The reek of Jaken and Ah-Un's blood coated the trees and grass in a horrid, foul-smelling stink. He found the Kappa and the dragon demon lying near each other, their bodies roughly thrown against a tree stump, cast aside like playthings no one wants. Scattered here and there, as though they were ghost beings leaving barely a trace of scent, was the stench of Naraku's followers, near Jaken's gutted body and Ah-Un's limp form.  
Sesshomaru studied the carcasses, drawing in deep, but shallow, breaths, struggling with an emotion he had never known before.  
Fear.

Though Rin's body was missing form the pile, and her scent was not there, he knew she was at Naraku's castle. And what would he do with her? Would he skin her? Slowly torture her? Would he…would he dare…  
In a flash of pure, uncharacteristic panic, Sesshomaru understood how Inuyasha felt each time his friends…or his love, Kagome…were injured or kidnapped. He felt…empty. Like Naraku's follower or followers had wrenched a chunk of his soul away and were slowly raking clawed hands over it, making him feel a deep, blatant hate.

As if on winged feet the Youkai sped after the scent of Naraku's followers…it was not easy to follow, for it seemed they drifted in the likeness of shadows, here darting, here dodging, here crawling, here climbing.  
As the demon darted on, following the fate scents, he found himself hissing words, words he would never have spoken were he not alone.

" Hang on Rin. I am coming for you. Please, be safe…"

(Renee's POV)  
Andrea and I had appeared over the crest of a hill behind them. Rin lay in a crumbled heap at our feet. Sesshomaru was nowhere in sight, but the stink of blood was all around us…Jaken's blood, and Ah-Un's blood.  
" Oh my gosh." Kagome breathed. Andrea and I moved with lightning speed to Hakudoushi's side, and Kagome whispered into Inuyasha's ear. " Those are my friends from the states! Look! Naraku implanted jewel shards in their necks!"

" Damn him." Inuyasha seethed.

" Do we have a problem, brother?" Andrea sneered to Hakudoushi.

" Why, yes, in fact. These six are intruding. Kill them now."

" Our pleasure." I responded, raising my sword deftly.

" Oh, and do try not to injure yourselves, as you injured me in training!" Hakudoushi seethed, indicating his ankle.

' So that's why he was limping.' Kagome thought, as Hakudoushi added, " Only, inflict that pain upon them, the foe." I rolled my eyes at his hint of doubt in me…in Andrea and I, as a team… lifting my sword higher, turned to face my enemies, and fixed my malignant gaze on the nearest one…Kagome.

" Oh no…" Kagome whispered, looking over her friends…they were all tired, all weak. Sango was struggling under the weight of her Hiraikotsu. Miroku was panting heavily, and a stitch was growing in Kagome's own side.

" Well? Are you gonna fight back, or what?" Andrea challenged. I let a sneer grow on my face to match Andrea's. Kagome backed, unwilling to hurt us.

Shippo suddenly broke rank and faced us.

" The hell are you doing, Shippo?" Inuyasha snarled, but the kitsune wasn't listening. He stared at Andrea and I.  
" Stop! Don't do this, guys, you're not murderers!"

" Oh, yes they are." Came Naraku's sleek voice. Inuyasha tightened his grasp on Tetsusaiga's handle, his heart beating faster as Naraku went on.

" Come here, my daughters."

Andrea and I fell back to his side, and Shippo stared after them.

" No…" He whispered.

" Dammit." Kohaku shouted. " I've had about enough of this."

Sango screamed out loud as her brother flung himself on top of Andrea and began to wrestle with her, not hurting her, and Shippo pounced on me. The whole clearing exploded into battle. Kagome and Hakudoushi tussled at the base of a tree. Sango and Miroku took on Kagura and Kanna. Inuyasha distracted Naraku with a series of futile blows.

A cloud of smoke suddenly filled the air, choking them all.

" What the hell?" Inuyasha coughed.

" Inuyasha!" Miroku shouted. Inuyasha leaped back, bringing his sword up to meet Sesshomaru's as the Youkai swung a blow, not at him, but at me. Throwing his brother sideways, Inuyasha shouted, " She's not your enemy!"

The two brothers battled shoulder-to-shoulder against Naraku, driving him back.  
Then…

" Kohaku! No!" Sango shrieked. Inuyasha glanced around to see the boy freeze. The glitter of a jewel shard on the grass showed he had been deprived of his life source by Andrea, who had nicked it free.

" DAMN THIS!" Inuyasha shoved Naraku aside, turned to the tide of demons that hovered nearby, waiting to attack. Inuyasha dropped and grabbed Kohaku's body as he hit the ground.

Sango joined them then, leaving Miroku to fight Kagura and Kanna.

" No…" Sango whispered, running one hand through Kohaku's bedraggled hair, tears forming in her eyes, " he can't…he can't be dead…he can't be!"

" Sango!" Miroku shouted. Sango looked blankly at him.

" We have to keep fighting." Inuyasha ordered her, springing up and taking over Kohaku's fight with Andrea.  
Shippo and I stalked around each other, with Kirara nearby, waiting to spring. Shippo stared at me…the girl he had befriended.

" Why, Renee? Why? You were a nice girl! What happened?" The kitsune whispered. I stared at him.

" I'm Otome. Who are you babbling to?" I snapped. Shippo stared broken-heartedly at her.

" H-How? Why? Renee, please…" To his shock, and mine as well, my expression changed.

" I-I can't, Shippo. I try, and I can't…"

" Yes, you can! You have to! You can't live if you don't!" A small glimmer of hope shone in Shippo's eyes, then quickly dimmed with sorrow and disappointment  
The human look had faded from my eyes, and I raised my sword, digging it into Shippo's shoulder and sending him to his knees. At the same moment, Kagome screamed,  
" INUYASHA!"

Shippo looked over to see Andrea had her blade on Inuyasha's throat. The hanyou was down on his knees, the Tetsusaiga inches from his searching fingers. Andrea had the blade lengthwise across the heaving throat of her victim…and she was about to kill him.

And the same instant, Shippo felt a pulsation ripple through his body. He thought of lightning, and mused, briefly, that being struck by such must be what he was feeling like now. Another pounding pulse, and his head drooped. His gaze fixed on his shoulder, where the blade had bit into the tender flesh. He blanched.  
The skin there was turning the same ghastly color and texture as ash. At once, he thought of gangrene. Kagome had told him of the lack of blood flow that turned one's skin…literally…to ash.  
What…how could that…be?  
Then…

" Oh, no! Shippo!" Kagome had turned frightened eyes on him, and everything seemed frozen, except for Kagome's utterly terrified eyes, blinking quickly, as she screamed, " No! Shippo! It…It's Miasma!"

A/N  
WindScar: Let's hope Shippo doesn't die again! Inu and Sesshy are getting along...for now. What's with Sesshomaru's emotions? what will happen to Rin, and will Kohaku be dead for good? More than that...will andrea kill Inuyasha? o.O Review and then find out!


	7. The Jewel Completed

The Jewel Completed

"Die, you filthy half-breed!" I snarled at the pitiful half-demon kneeling before me. It would be easy. Just a simple slash of my sword, and Naraku's archenemy would be a distant memory. And yet, I felt something. It was faint, but something seemed to pull at me, compelling me to stop. That what I was doing was wrong. I hesitated. Naraku, with his keen senses, detected my hesitation. "What are you doing, Musume? I command you to kill Inuyasha now!" Naraku's voice boomed. Upon hearing that voice, everything became foggy again. I felt a sickening feeling of pleasure overwhelm me as I prepared to slaughter my victim.

"Yes," I automatically replied, against my will, in a monotonous sounding voice. I had no will of my own. My only thoughts were destroying Naraku's enemy, Inuyasha. Of the numerous ways I could slaughter him. I felt myself display a malevolent smile as I made up my mind. No. It was Naraku's. A voice only I could hear that repeated this command to me numerous times. His voice was tainted with sick joy and anticipation. _"Skin Inuyasha alive, my daughter! Bestow! upon him the agony of losing his meager flesh! A worthless hanyou has no need of such...reveal his heart, both literally and figuratively, to all those watching! Make him suffer a long and agonizing death!"_

Inuyasha's eyes moved nervously from my own eyes to Tetsusaiga, then back again. Sweat trickled down his face. "Get back!" Inuyasha shouted, "I'm warning you! You won't like what will happen if you don't back away!" He then continued his pathetic attempt to reach his sword. I wondered why he was so desperate to reclaim it. I shrugged it off. It was obvious he wanted the sword to prevent his imminent demise. But something was amiss. He didn't seem to be afraid of me, of the gruesome fate that awaited him. But rather, he was afraid of something else…Something far worse…

I smirked. I was simply imagining things. He was so pathetic. Giving me threats when I held my sword at his throat. It was I that held his life in my hands. I laughed. I relished in my imminent victory. Naraku's victory. Inuyasha's head would be my trophy. I would then present it to Naraku and he would bestow on me great rewards! Sango looked from her dead brother to me, tears flowing freely down her face. "Why?" Only to see me with a sword at Inuyasha's throat,  
about to slaughter him. Her expression suddenly from the sorrow of losing her only brother, to panic and rage. Gently placing Kohaku's body back onto the grass, she raced towards Inuyasha, ignoring the jewel shard lying on the grass.

"Sango, no! Stay back I'm about to transform," he cried out in desperation as he felt his body pulsate, the first sign of his impending transformation. He gritted his teeth. He was fighting an apparent losing battle with all his might. His claws dug into the grass and dirt.

"Don't move!" I threatened the both of them as I pressed my blade, Kurushimi against his jugular vein, "It will be over soon!" A feeling of sick pleasure overwhelmed me. It was very faint, but somehow, deep inside, it still felt wrong, but I was unable to control myself. Sango froze.

"Otome!" Naraku bellowed, "Forget the pathetic kitsune and retrieve the final shard from Kagome." Naraku then walked over to the jewel shard that had once maintained Kohaku's life. Looking at Kohaku's body in contempt, he bent down and reclaimed the jewel shard. "You traitorous little bastard!" muttered Naraku at Kohaku's corpse, as he turned away from his former slave, the jewel shard held tightly in his hand. The jewel was nearly complete, and he was contemplating his  
first wish. His attention now turned at the many battles unfolding around him. The battles being fought for him.

Inuyasha changed in form and demeanor almost instantly before my eyes. Never in my life had I felt such terror. Instead of a helpless half-breed kneeling prostrate before me, awaiting his gruesome fate, he was now a terrifying beast! Death and hatred seemed to emanate from him. Keeping my sword pointed at Inuyasha, I took a few steps backwards, slowly releasing the sword from his throat. The influence of the jewel then suddenly quelled my fears. I stopped and stared in defiance at my intended victim. He returned my stare with one of pure hatred and malice. His eyes now glowed a blood red with blue pupils, his claws grew in size. His fangs grew. His fangs and claws glistened in the sunlight. Drool slipped down his large, sharp fangs in large drops. A single purple jagged streak marked each side of his face. He smirked evilly at me, then suddenly lunged. A sick, demented smile crossed Inuyasha's face, as though he were relishing in his attempt to slaughter me. I did not notice it before, but I felt the jewel shard guide my movements, helping me to avoid Inuyasha's speedy and deadly attacks. Either that, or Naraku's miasma infused in it had something to do with my expert dodging abilities.

Swipe after deadly swipe, Inuyasha growled in rage each time he missed his target. He paused, as though planning his next move. I chuckled and pointed Kurushimi at him. "You should die as the rabid dog you are!" I taunted. Inuyasha roared with rage. He lunged at me, claws glistening in the sunlight, promising a quick, excruciating death to whomever they impale.

Giving a smile that would creep out even the bravest of men, Otome nodded at Naraku's request. She turned her full attention from the dissolving Shippo to Kagome.

"Give me your jewel shard, and I will consider sparing you pitiful life!"

Hakudoushi stepped up to Otome's side, smirking, holding his weapon at his side, it's base resting on the grass. "I would listen to her, you wench, lest you desire your precious kitsune companion to perish!" he motioned his head towards Shippo. Miasma continued to escape his wound, threatening to dissolve him into nothingness.

"Don't worry about me!" cried Shippo, collapsing to his knees while grasping his wound, "You mustn't let Naraku get your jewel shard! If he does, he'll have completed the sacred jewel!"

"No! Shippo!" she cried as she reached out to him. She then stopped in her tracks. Renee had positioned herself between the two. Taking a single step backwards, Kagome replied desperately, "Renee, is that you? What happened to you? Why do you have a jewel shard? It's tainted. Naraku must be controlling you with it as he did Kohaku! You have to let me remove it!"

"Not a chance! You are implying my great father, Naraku is some sorta sick bastard who does not care for his children! I won't stand for that!" Then pointing Taikai at the frightened girl, she continued, "I shall repeat myself. Surrender your jewel shard and I will consider allowing you to live, but ultimately it is up to my great and powerful father!"

"Renee! Please! Fight it!" she pleaded, tears filling her eyes, blurring her vision. She could not stand seeing her friend under the influence of Naraku. It was unforgivable. Another ghastly deed committed by her worst enemy. She swore Naraku would pay.

Once again, Renee seemed to partially break free. "Kagome? What's going on?" She lowered Taikai. Placing a hand to her forehead, she closed her eyes. She seemed to be struggling with something inside her. It seemed she were waging an internal battle… Naraku's influence versus her humanity. "I feel strange…"

Kagome began to sigh in relief, only to see Renee's eyes reopen, glazed over once more.

Kirara pulled back her lips, revealing her sharp, feline fangs. She jumped, positioning herself between Kagome, Renee and Hakudoushi. She narrowed her eyes and let out a low, threatening growl at the two enemies. She leaned back and pounced, pinning the two on their backs. Roaring inches from them, warm drool dripped on their faces. Seeing her chance, Kagome inched herself around the three and reached Shippo. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out the small glass bottle that held the final jewel shard. She quickly opened it, shaking it upside down above her open palm, where the jewel shard landed perfectly. Concern flooding her face, she reached out and gently grasped Shippo's arm. Shippo cringed in pain.

"I'm sorry Shippo. Hang on!" she said as she picked up the shard from her hand with her thumb and index finger. She gently placed it in his wound. Amazingly, the miasma dissipated. The jewel shard had purified the miasma, eliminating the danger. Both Kagome and Shippo breathed a sigh in relief. "Thank you Kagome," said Shippo. Kagome nodded. Kagome gently removed the shard from Shippo. She had no desire to make him a target, and possession of the final shard was a prime example. Both turned to Kirara and her two captives. Hakudoushi was reaching for his dropped weapon, as was Renee…

Miroku placed a hand on the beads sealing his Wind Tunnel and began to unwind the beads. He was desperate. The battle was now two against one. Kagura and Kanna against him. The battle was physically draining him. He stopped at the sight of dozens of saimyosho suddenly appear around his opponents. He growled in frustration and gritted his teeth at Kagura's taunting laughter as he resealed the Wind Tunnel.

Sesshomaru dashed to his out of control brother. With great speed, he swung Tokijin down, striking the ground at Inuyasha's feet. Rocks and dirt flew everywhere. With an enraged roar, Inuyasha ceased his attack on me and turned his full attention to his new attacker. Swinging his claws, the enraged Inuyasha attacked Sesshomaru. Each swing of his claws was trailed by lines of energy. Sesshomaru smirked as he easily dodge each and every attack Inuyasha attempted.

Kirara let out .a warning growl. She was losing her grip on her captives. Kagome and Shippo nodded at Kirara's warning. She was begging them to get clear. No sooner than she tried to warn her friends, Hakudoushi grasped his weapon and in one swift sweep, drove his blade into Kirara's side. Letting out a wail of agony, Kirara was thrown several feet away and landed with a thud. She slowly rose to her feet, and then fell back down. She began to clean her wound as best she could. Hakudoushi let out a victorious grin. Renee turned to face Hakudoushi and nodded. In one swift motion, Renee rushed at Kagome, who had virtually no time to react. She pushed Kagome to the ground. The two tussled for several minutes. Kagome let out a cry as Renee held her hand on her throat and squeezed. Her other hand held Taikai on her cheek. "Give me the shard!"

Kagome was losing her strength fast. She couldn't breathe. Her hands grasped Renee's wrist, in a futile attempt to release the grip that threatened to squeeze the very life from her. With a grin, Renee pulled the blade from Kagome's face and drove it into the ground. With her now freed hand, she reached into Kagome's shirt and retrieved the shard. Holding it tight in her hand, she roughly released her grip. "Now was that so hard a request to fulfill?"

Kagome rolled over onto her stomach and slowly rose up to her hands and knees, coughing violently. She tenderly rubbed a hand over her bruised throat. Her pleading eyes met Renee's cold ones. Renee grunted and turned away, throwing the jewel shard to Naraku's waiting hand She then picked up Taikai. Mission complete. Kagome stared in shocked disbelief.

Naraku let out a victorious grin followed by terrifying laughter.  
"Come here, Otome and Musume. It is now time to return the jewel shards I lent you.

Amidst the chaos, the two of us obediently complied. We calmly approached our father. He grinned at us. Like a father, proud of his children's accomplishments. "It is now time to complete the jewel and to have my greatest desires granted!" He paused. "Turn around, my daughters." The two of us turned around at Naraku's command. Fear missing from our eyes.

Naraku first roughly placed his left hand on Renee's shoulder. With tremendous force, he drove his meaty right index finger into the back of her neck. She immediately dropped her sword. I heard her shriek out in pure agony as he removed his finger, along with the jewel shard. Blood erupted from her newly inflicted wound. I gasped in horror at the sight of my best friend writhing on the ground in pure agony, blood pooling slowly around her head. Then I felt something overwhelm me. Survival instincts. With a look of defiance, I turned around to face Naraku and took a few steps backwards.

Naraku chuckled, slowly shaking his head. "My dear, dear Musume. Do you honestly believe I would allow you to leave with a jewel shard in your possession? Or do you perhaps desire a goodbye kiss before your entrance to the netherworld?" He directed his vision to Renee then back to me. "You shall suffer the same fate as your weak and pathetic friend!" I turned to run, but Naraku was faster. With lightning speed, he thrust out his hand, which morphed into a tentacle. Piercing my left shoulder blade. I let out a shriek in agony as I collapsed forwards, flat on my face. Releasing his tentacle, it changed back to its original form and he smirked. "Now my dear, surrender the jewel shard!" I lifted my head slowly. My face was covered in dirt, and stung from the impact.

Naraku slowly began to advance towards me. I couldn't move. Fear filled my entire body. I looked desperately at Kurushimi, which was only inches away from me, stuck in the dirt. I braced myself for Naraku to make his move. It didn't come. I looked up and behind me. To my surprise, Sango had positioned herself between myself and Naraku. I had killed her brother, but she was still trying to help me. Unfazed, Naraku's arms morphed and drove into the ground. Within mere moments, roots shot out of the ground, surrounding the both of us. Sango struggled against the roots appearing all around her. She dropped her Hiraikotsu and drew her blade, slicing through each root that flew at her, but there were too many. She was almost instantly overwhelmed. The roots grabbed her and lifted her to the sky. Root after root shot from the ground, wrapping around her arms and legs, then her chest. The roots threatened to squeeze the very life from her.

Almost simultaneously, the roots around me easily captured me in my weakened state. With Sango being held in the air in one place, the roots carried me back to Naraku, positioning me with my back to him. All I could do is wait. The wait was not long, for I almost immediately felt his meaty finger reach its target. The jewel shard on my brain stem. I let out a scream, momentarily passing out from the pain. The roots immediately released their grasp from myself and Sango. We both struck the ground with a sickening thud. Blood pooled at my head. I faintly heard the clashing of various weapons for what seemed an eternity.

As I slowly came to, I searched the terrain for Renee. She was slowly rising to her knees, a hand grasping the wound at the back of her neck. Reaching to my own wound, to my relief, had stopped bleeding. I gasped. Naraku had reclaimed the jewel shards! My memories came flooding back to me. I was pissed. Naraku had made us commit such heinous acts! Heck! He nearly made us kill a little girl. I looked around. Rin was still unconscious on the grass. Renee and I made eye contact, telling each other were ok. I then saw Renee's eyes filled with panic. I turned to see what she was looking at…

Naraku held out the nearly completed jewel in one hand. With the other, he held a single jewel shard. He let out a booming laughter. "Behold! The sacred jewel is about to be restored to its former glory!" He then placed the final shard in its place. The blackened jewel glowed brilliantly, its light an eerie black. The jewel was now complete. While hovering several feet in the air, he held it out in his opened palm, smiling triumphantly. The skies darkened. Thunder raced across the sky followed by deafening thunder. The numerous battles ceased, except for the battle between Inuyasha and Sesshomaru, which seemed to be unending. The scores of demons still hovered in the air, growling and snapping. They were getting restless. Those against Naraku stared in shocked disbelief. Naraku's incarnations smiled.

"I wish…."

What will Naraku's wish be? Does this spell doom for everyone? Are Renee and Andrea going to be alright? Will Inuyasha turn back to normal, or is he doomed to perish as a full youkai? You'll just have to wait till next time! Written by inuyashafangirl with WindScar's advice!


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